Matching Features Between Land Surface and Atmospheric Circulation (by Diego Fdez-Sevilla PhD)

Two models, GFS (left) and ECMWF (right), forecast for the 25th April a High pressure enclosed over Greenland matching exactly its size.

The isobars indicating atmospheric pressure gradients are matching Greenland’s land surface almost like isolines of a topographic map.

So, which features or mechanisms can be projecting its influence into the atmosphere drawing the shape of the High Pressure above?

Actual state of the Arctic and Greenland

At this part of the year Greenland is surrounded by Sea ice, principally on its North and West sides (see following images).

Daily Sea Ice Extent These images show the extent of ocean covered by ice at any concentration greater than 15 percent for a given day. This snapshot of current ice conditions may be missing data (missing data appears as gray dots or areas). The median line (orange in images) shows a typical ice extent for that day based on data from 1981 through 2010. The area around the North Pole that the satellite does not image is assumed to be covered by ice at more than 15 percent concentration. Daily Sea Ice Concentration These images show the percentage of ice cover for each roughly 25-kilometer-square data cell that is more than 15 percent covered by ice on a given day. The daily images may be missing data (missing data appears as dark grey dots or areas). The area around the North Pole that is not imaged by the satellite is excluded from the area because there is no way to know what the concentration is within this area.

The heights can be used to estimate surface temperatures since height of a pressure surface is related to the mean temperature of the air below it but surface temperatures can not be used to estimate height of a pressure surface unless we consider convection.

Convection occurs when air near a surface is heated by radiation and conduction, expands
and begins to rise, being lighter than the surrounding air. To replace the rising air, cooler air is drawn in from above the surrounding surface. Convection requires a surface to irradiate heat. Since Greenland is mostly surrounded by Ice that can not be the answer for the High pressure above it since Ice melt when absorbs heat.

The only mechanism for Ice to incorporate Energy in a system without melting is by reflection, which is called Albedo.

Albedo

Albedo is a non-dimensional, unitless quantity that indicates how well a surface reflects solar energy. Albedo (Î±) varies between 0 and 1. Albedo commonly refers to the “whiteness” of a surface, with 0 meaning black and 1 meaning white. A value of 0 means the surface is a “perfect absorber” that absorbs all incoming energy. Absorbed solar energy can be used to heat the surface or, when sea ice is present, melt the surface. A value of 1 means the surface is a “perfect reflector” that reflects all incoming energy.

Albedo generally applies to visible light, although it may involve some of the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. You understand the concept of low albedo intuitively when you avoid walking barefoot on blacktop on a hot summer day. Blacktop has a much lower albedo than concrete because the black surface absorbs more energy and reflects very little energy.

Sea ice has a much higher albedo compared to other earth surfaces, such as the surrounding ocean. A typical ocean albedo is approximately 0.06, while bare sea ice varies from approximately 0.5 to 0.7. This means that the ocean reflects only 6 percent of the incoming solar radiation and absorbs the rest, while sea ice reflects 50 to 70 percent of the incoming energy. The sea ice absorbs less solar energy and keeps the surface cooler.

Snow has an even higher albedo than sea ice, and so thick sea ice covered with snow reflects as much as 90 percent of the incoming solar radiation. This serves to insulate the sea ice, maintaining cold temperatures and delaying ice melt in the summer. After the snow does begin to melt, and because shallow melt ponds have an albedo of approximately 0.2 to 0.4, the surface albedo drops to about 0.75. As melt ponds grow and deepen, the surface albedo can drop to 0.15. As a result, melt ponds are associated with higher energy absorption and a more rapid ice melt.

Questions and answers

I can consider two possible scenarios. The models are accurate or not. But then, some major questions raise here.

One would be if the models overestimate the difference in albedo between Snow and surrounding Sea Ice when they simulate their effect over atmospheric pressure at the sea level. Consequently the mapping of the extent of Land Being Covered by Snow marks the margins for the High pressure to develop.

But, considering that the models are accurate, several major questions arise:

The impact of Land Cover is strong enough to define the conditions driving the evolution of Atmospheric Processes (in this case High Pressure) involved in Atmospheric Circulation. That brings more evidences about the influence of continentality, and the activities carried inland, over the atmospheric circulation.

This post is part of a bigger piece of work looking into the synergistic interactions and the relevance of the role played by Land Cover over Atmospheric Circulation and the Meteorological Processes associated. The situation over Greenland seems to be a perfect example pointing out the existence of such strong interactions and synergy as much as it has also been observed in the behaviour of the atmospheric circulation over the Amazones.

There are many factors interacting throughout feedback loops in our climate, and here, I have just looked at the impact generated by alterations in albedo. This example highlights the necessity for not underestimating the relevance from spread changes in Land Cover and Use across all continents changing the albedo properties of surfaces, and their potential impact over the global atmospheric circulation.

Feel free to add your comments.

—- xxx —-

(This post is part of a more complex piece of independent research. I believe that the hypothesis that I have presented in previous posts in this blog (here,here and here) could help to understand present and possible future scenarios in atmospheric circulation. However, this is an assessment based on observation which needs to be validated throughout open discussion and data gathering. So please feel free to incorporate your thoughts and comments in a constructive manner.

Any scientist working in disciplines related with the topics that I treat in my blog knows how to judge the contribution that my work could potentially add to the state of knowledge. Since I am in transition looking for a position in research, if you are one of those scientists, by just acknowledging any value you might see from my contribution would not only make justice to my effort as independent researcher, but ultimately, it will help me to enhance my chances to find a position with resources to further develop my work.

If you feel like sharing this post I would appreciate to have a reference about the place or platform, by private or public message, in order for me to have the opportunity to join the debate and be aware of the repercussion which might generate d.fdezsevilla(at)gmail.com)

For anybody interested in the posts related with this discussion here I leave you those more relevant in chronological order (there are comments bellow some of them. Please check them out):

Welcome. Privacy and Intellectual Property Rights

Let's introduce ourselves to each other. You know that I am Diego Fdez-Sevilla, PhD. author of this blog.
I use Clicky to log and analyze the traffic to my web site and the line of research published in it. You may review Clicky's privacy policy at http://clicky.com/terms/privacy
This blog logs "personal data" to Clicky as follows, for the stated legitimate purposes. A "Unique ID" tracking cookie to identify unique visitors and your IP address for security, fraud and plagiarism prevention.
By visiting this blog you agree with the terms and conditions defined by the Creative Commons License-Attribution over my work, and identification in case of plagiarism or fraud. contact: d.fdezsevilla@gmail.com

I keep constantly looking into new developments and info in related topics. Since we both are interested in the same subjects, I would appreciate that you leave a comment or use attribution to my work when you find it influencing yours. Either through inspiration, data or methodology. It is sad seeing work being produced in locations by institutions tracked from your visits mimicking parts of my own work without recognition. So please, get involved in my effort and join me, don´t exclude me from what it should be a team's effort. Each one of us choose what we want to be recognised for. And I will expose to the community any misuse of any part of my work. Profile at ResearchGate
-/#/-
CV english and español. Resume.

Blog Stats

Follow Blog via Email

Meta

Feedback

Your feedback is much appreciated.
I want to use this blog to increase the level of exposure of my research and enhance discussion in a multidisciplinary and open review in order to scrutinise its validity throughout the interaction between proactive thinkers.
The only way to overcome limitations is by joining the potential of different mind sets, knowledge and points of view. So I treat every contribution as positive as long as it is constructive.
Comments only require a name and an email address. There is no need to be a blogger or manage a web site. Comments are not published immediately since all comments follow moderation in order to check genuicity and avoid spam. Mastering sarcasm is not a skill I would appreciate. You can also contact me: d.fdezsevilla(at)gmail.com Diego Fdez-Sevilla.

Attribution (copyright)

NOW THAT WE KNOW EACH OTHER, REMEMBER, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV). International Space Station (ISS) on the Columbus External Facility.

Spanish Metereorological Agency

Centers visiting diegofdezsevilla.wordpress.com

From Academia__________
International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP)/Texas A&M University
Academic Computer Centre CYFRONET AGH
American University
Arizona State University
Binghamton University
Boston University
Brown University
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Office of the Chancel
Canterbury Christ Church University
Central Methodist University
Central Queensland University/CQU
Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin
Charles University
CITI2 - Universite Rene DESCARTES
CKPOLSL - Silesian University of Technology, Compu
Columbia University
Comenius University Bratislava
Consortium GARR
Cornell University
CSU Monterey Bay
Czech Academy of Sciences
Dalhousie University
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Eastern Washington University
Ecole des Mines de Douai
Edinburgh University
Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Federal University Oye-EKiti
Florida State University
Georgia Department of Education
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitaet Hannover
Hanyang University
Harper Adams University College
Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf
Humboldt State University
Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin
Indiana State University
Iowa State University
IUFM Université de Nantes
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Kangnung National UNIV.
Karolinska Institutet
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz
KENET-University of Nairobi
Kennesaw State University
Korea Institute of Science and Technology Informat
Korea University
Kyoto University
Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory
LAN University of Vienna
Lancaster University Campus Network
Lancaster University Network Services Limited
Landmark-university
Leeds University
Liepajas Universitate
Loughborough University
Louisiana State University
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen
Lulea technical university
Maharishi Dayanand University Rohtak
Mahidol University, Thailand
McGill University
McMaster University
Michigan Technological University
Middle East Technical University / Orta Dogu Tekni
Middle East Technical University(METU)
Mississippi State University
Moulton College
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology/MOEC
Navy Network Information Center (NNIC)
Niagara University
Northeastern Hill University
NYU Hospitals Center
Oregon State University
Oxford University
Portland State University
Pptik - Universitas Gadjah Mada
Purdue University
Queensland University of Technology
Reseau de l'Universite de langues, lettres et comm
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet Bonn
Royal College of Art
Sacramento County Office of Education
Saginaw ISD
Saint John's University - College of Saint Benedic
San Diego State University
Slovak University of Agriculture
Southwestern University
Staffordshire University
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
State University of New York at Buffalo
Studierendenwerk Bonn AoeR
SUNY Geneseo Computer Center/ State University of New York at Geneseo
Swansea University
Swinburne University of Technology/SUT
Taiwan Academic Network
Technische Universitaet Darmstadt
Texas A&M University
Texas Tech University
The registrar Annamalai University
The University of Texas Health Science Center at H
Tohoku University
TU Berlin, campus network
Universi School
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Universidad de Alicante
Universidad de Cadiz
Universidad de Sevilla
Universidad de Valencia
Universidad de Vigo
Universidad de Zaragoza
Universidad del Pais Vasco / Euskal Herriko Uniber
Universidad del Valle
Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires
Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena
Universidade de Aveiro
Universidade do Porto
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Universita' degli Studi di Firenze
Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata
Universita di Napoli Federico II
Universitaet Bayreuth
Universitaet Hohenheim
Universitaet Kassel
Universitaet zu Koeln
Universitas Negeri Surabaya
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat Jaume I
Universite Blaise Pascal
Universite de Bordeaux - DSI
Universite de Liege (ULg)
Universite de Reims Champagne-Ardenne - URCA
Universite Paris XII Val-de-Marne
Universite Pierre et Marie Curie
Universiteit Twente
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
University at Albany, State University of New York
University College Dublin
University College Falmouth
University of British Columbia
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Cincinnati
University of East Anglia
University of Eastern Finland
University of Education, Winneba
University of Exeter
University of Illinois
University of Innsbruck
University of Leicester
University of Maryland
University of Michigan
University of Mississippi Medical Center
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Ottawa
University of Portsmouth
University of Reading
University Of South Florida
University of South Wales
University of Southern California
University of Stirling
University of Tartu/Hariduse Infotehnoloogia Sihtasutus
University of Technology, Sydney
University of Texas at Arlington
University of the South Pacific
University of the Western Cape
University of Toronto
University of Victoria
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin Madison
University of York
Universtitaet Bern
Univerza v Ljubljani
Univision
USTANOVA-STUDENTSKI-STANDARD-NET
Utah Education Network
Valdosta State University
Virginia Community College System
Wageningen Universiteit
Western State College
Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet, ZIV
William De Ferrers School
Worcester State University
Yale University
York University
From Corporation_____
Allergan
Bayer Business Services GmbH
Buhler AG
Citigroup
GIP Messinstrumente GmbH/Grimm-Aerosol Technik GmbH & Co. KG
Infineon Technologies AG
Intel Corporation
L-OREAL HAARKOSMETIK UND PARFUEMERIEN GMBH & CO.
Marriott International, Ic
MTS Allstream
Ratcliff Consulting Ltd
Sanofi Aventis group SA
Television Internacional, S.A. de C.V.
ZON Tv Cabo
From Goverment Administration_____
Administracion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones
Administratia Nationala de Meteorologie RA
Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia
AssociaÃ§Ã£o Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa
Bureau of Sanitation- Information and Control Systems Division (ICSD)
California Technology Agency/ Teala Data Center
China Science And Technology Network
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CSIC
Corporacion Nacional De Telecomunicaciones - Cnt E/Red Interministerial
European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)
German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR)
Gobierno de Navarra
Government Integrated Telecommunications Network Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)
Instituto Politecnico Nacional
Lepida S.p.A.
Goverment Administration
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. CP-ATOCHA
Ministry of Public Administration/Republika Slovenija Ministrstvo za javno upravo
National Health Service
National Research Council (Cnr)/ Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
New York State Department of Health
NHS UK
NOAA
NOAA-Boulder
Nsw Department Of Health
Punjabi Univ/NKN Core Network
Scottish Borders Council
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
Swiss Federation represented by Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication FOITT
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology
U.S. Department of Energy
UK Meteorological Office
United Nations Logistics Base
Washington State Board for Community & Technical C
From Institute Of Technology & Science______
“O.M.Marzeyev Institute for Hygiene and Medical Ecology, Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”
Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Po
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laborato
ATRIUM, l'Environnement Numérique Educatif des lycées
Birla Institute Of Technology & Science
ComClark Network & Technology Corp.
Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
Computer Network Information Center
Ecole des Mines de Nantes
Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon
ETHZ, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
European Space Agency (ESA)
Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
Fortech s.r.o.
Hadara Technologies Private Shareholding Company/ Hadara
Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Zentrum fuer Materia
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZ
Institut National d'Agronomie Paris-Grignon
Institute of Atmospheric Physics RAS
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research/ Verein zur Foerderung eines Deutschen Forschungsne
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology-German Climate Computing Centre (Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum, DKRZ)
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Philips Research Eindhoven- Philips Campus-ICT
Punjabi Univ/NKN Core Network
Rensselaer Hartford Graduate Center
Rothamsted Research Institute
RRM - Reseau de la Recherche a Marseille
Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technol
Scientific-Production Enterprise Information Techn
The MITRE Corporation
Villefranche Oceanographic Laboratory
Weizmann Institute of Science
From Research and Education_________
Amman Baccalaureate School
Assiniboine Community College
Baptist Healthcare System
Bibb County Schools
Bonn International School e.V.
Burnley College
Canadian Department of Education
Canterbury College
Catawba County Schools
Cherry Creek School District #5
Chesterfield County Public School
Clark County School District
Clinton Public Schools
College of Eastern Utah
Contra Costa County Office of Education
Cornwall College
Covina Valley Unified School District
Des Moines Public Schools
Edmonton Public School Board, District No. 7
Fairfax County Public Schools
Forest Hills Public Schools
Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen
Houston Independent School District
Humble Independent School District
iiNet Limited
Indiana Department of Education
Isd# 625 Saint Paul Public Schools
KWR Watercycle Research Institute
Linfield College.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Macomb Intermediate School District
Madison-Oneida Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)
Marist College
Mecklenburg County Public Schools
Middle Michigan Network for Educational Telecommunications/Merit Network
Middlebury College
Montville High School
National Research Council of Canada
Network for Learning
New York City Public Schools
Non state educational institution Educational Scientific and Experimental Center of Moscow In
Norfolk Public Schools Administration
North Carolina Research and Education Network
Nueva School
Oak Grove School District
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Ontario School District
Ottawa Carleton District School Board
Peel District School Board
Piedmont Unified School District
Rectorat de l'academie de Nancy Metz
Research Organization of Information and Systems
Rhodes College
Saint Stephen’s College
Salem-Keizer Public Schools
Santa Clara County Office of Education
SCBACB - Aiken County School District - AGS LAN
Seobu District Office of Education in Seoul
Snow College
Socorro Independent School District
St Stephen's School
Suffield Public Schools
Sunderland City Council/Derwent Hill Outdoor Centre
The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ)
The Lawrenceville School
Toronto District School Board
Township High School District 21
Tri-County Computer Services Association
Ventura County Office of Education
Wake County Public School System
Washington School Information Processing Cooperati
Wayne Township School
Wofford College
Wyke College

***

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.